MPA/543: Data Analysis For Public Policy And Management
Wk 1 – Policy Research Project: Development of Research Questions
Assignment Content
Question
A professional in public administration encounters a lot of information—from within the agency, from across organizations within government, and from the general public. Developing the skills to discern fact from conjecture, objective analysis from bias, and a credible source from one that isn’t comes with knowing what to look for in separating valuable information from questionable material. Even published research should be evaluated using the standards of credibility and reliability, which we will discuss in depth throughout this course.
Participating in the research process by which many public policies are established provides you with firsthand experience in science-based methods employed in search of actionable, fact-based information. This experience fortifies your ability to develop informed, 360-degree perspectives that are at the core of many decisions as a public administration professional.
For this course-length research project, imagine that you are a researcher in the public sector. You received a grant to fund a research project that will be used to inform a major policy decision.
To begin your project this week, identify a problem in contemporary society related to your field of experience or interest that potentially can be solved through the research process in applying the facts toward policy decisions.
The project requirements for each week are as follows:
Week 1: Develop research questions around an issue that interests you as a public policy concern.
Week 2: Develop a research design to determine how you will attempt to answer the questions.
Week 3: Collect data to support your hypothesis.
Week 5: Analyze the data gathered to produce usable information toward your research.
Week 6: Detail your research process, findings, and conclusions in a written paper. Incorporate any feedback received in previous submissions.
As with all research, begin this week by identifying the questions you want to answer.
Describe an issue in public policy that is relevant to society today. Ensure that the issue and its questions are within a scope you can attempt to answer by Week 6 by carrying out the full research process.
Conduct research of literature and other credible sources to help define and articulate your questions. List the literature you reviewed that contributed to your hypothesis.
Develop and state your theory or hypothesis for the policy issue.
Complete the Developing Research Questions Template.
Cite at least 8 to 10 credible references to support your research.
Format your citations according to APA guidelines.